During surgery, it is often necessary to suction out accumulated fluids, such as pooled blood. A suction wand is used for such fluid removal wherein the tip of the wand is placed at the spot of the pooled fluid and the surgeon or nurse uses an appropriate control mechanism to open and close a valve associated with the suction wand. The wand is connected to a vacuum source so that when the valve is open, suction is induced through the wand and the fluid is suctioned out of the area of interest. Once the fluid is removed, the valve is closed, inhibiting further suction through the wand. Often the wand is dual-equipped so that the wand is also fluid-flow connected to an irrigation fluid, allowing irrigation of the surgery site as needed.
Such suction control mechanisms are of great assistance during surgery as removal of the fluid with or without prior irrigation is required in order to allow the surgeon to see the surgery site. However, the problem with current suction systems is that the systems are large, bulky, complex, and have an awkward inline grip so that using the device is tricky and not very comfortable for the surgeon or the surgical nurse. Additionally, some current suction systems are non-disposable so that such systems carry the attendant costs of having to be autoclaved between surgeries.